One Night, Four “Slam Dunk” Opportunities: Intellectual Property Section Holds Multiple “Mix and Mingle” Events in Northern and Southern California

Call it an in-season tournament. That was the idea behind California Lawyers Association (CLA) Intellectual Property (IP) Law Section’s “Mix and Mingle” events held simultaneously at several locations around the state on Thursday, November 21, 2024.

Open to all current and potential Section members and their friends, the four social gatherings were hosted at four unique venues: McGregor’s Grill & Ale House in San Diego; the Oak + Violet at the Park James Hotel in Menlo Park; El Patron Cantina in Los Angeles; and, Sens in San Francisco.

The concept was to get as many IP attorneys together as possible to meet a broad array of diverse practitioners in a pleasant and inviting setting. The Section’s Executive Committee members and Interest Group officers split into teams and attended the mixers, answering questions and offering information about Section activities and the benefits of being a CLA member.

“We wanted to provide access to an evening set aside for intellectual property lawyers who work around the state,” explained Jonathan Lurie, IP Section Chair.  “It was also important that participants had the chance to just relax and speak with colleagues.”

Each setting included its own mouthwatering and unique appetizers, provided at no cost. One of the goals for all CLA Sections is to create events which are interesting, educational, and offered for free or at a low cost to reduce barriers for people to attend both in-person social and educational meetings.

“CLA’s IP Section wants to increase participation by newer attorneys and wants to be there to help build your network with fantastic attorneys from all around the state,” Lurie said. “We’ve been doing this for some time, and each year it’s a little bit different. We want die hards and new fans to attend, so we’ve established a new committee to get our colleagues to come out for their teams, so to speak.”

One lawyer attending the events noted, “I’ve met some people that I’ve kept in touch with in the past by coming to this once-a-year social, and evenings like this are a nice way to meet other IP attorneys working in your area.”

The IP Section is looking to game changing decisions going forward, drafting new opportunities and “plays.” “We want to consider all of our options,” said Lurie. “We want to bring the best possible networking to IP attorneys all over California. That might mean holding more events in different ways to bring together as many of our colleagues as possible.”

Several people who took part in the festivities shared their thoughts about connection. “We are all connected by our profession, no matter where we live in California. That’s a fun way to think about legal professionals all around the state.”

To learn more about CLA’s Intellectual Property Section, visit: https://calawyers.org/section/intellectual-property-law/.